Was Johannes Kepler so before his time that he not only forumlated the first mathematical based universal laws of the cosmos, but also pre-empted modern quantum physics with the idea of quantum fields.

In this deeply entertaining lecture on Johannes Kepler’s investigation into the principles that govern the Universe using Platonic Solids, Sylvia Brewda sets the scene by opening our eyes that Kepler was well aware that energy comes in discreet packages.

Today, quantum field theory treats particles as excited states (also called quanta) of their underlying fields, which are—in a sense—more fundamental than the basic particles. Interactions between particles are described by interaction terms in the Lagrangian involving their corresponding fields. Each interaction can be visually represented by Feynman diagrams, which are formal computational tools, in the process of relativistic perturbation theory.

This idea is the cornerstone to modern quantum physics and goes a long way in explaining a range of observed phenomena including the two-slit experiment, atomic energy states and even more speculative areas such as superpositions and quantum entanglement.

From this bold introduction, Sylvia goes on to provide a rich background about what was known about the state of the physical in Kepler’s time and how many areas of his genius insights are still being realised and fully understood by scientists today.

Did Kepler see the world not as a collection of particles and energies, but as fluctuations in a “quantum field”. Watch this insightful lecture from September 22, 1994 to find out…